Martial Universe: Season 1 Episode 16 Recap
> Martial Universe: Season 1 Recap
Master Yan awakened, with Xuan Su watching him and shedding tears. Master Yan decided that Lin Dong would still participate in the Tower Competition. Ling Qingzhu returned the Heart of Nirvana to Master Yan, then questioned if he had chosen the wrong person, especially since Lin Dong had lost his ancestral talisman.
Xuan Su defended Lin Dong, saying his survival was already great luck, and admitted it was her fault for not taking good care of the other disciples, blaming the Yin Puppet Sect's craftiness for their inability to defend against their schemes. On the rooftop, Lin Dong expressed his fears to Ying Huanhuan, admitting he was scared.
He spoke of failing to cure Qingtan's illness, not becoming the man his father hoped for, losing the ancestral talisman, and causing harm to everyone. He wished the current reality was merely a dream. Ying Huanhuan playfully teased him about dreaming of Ling Qingzhu instead. After she disturbed him, Lin Dong felt happier and determined not to let others look down on him anymore.
Ying Huanhuan then presented him with a treasure she had retrieved from the ancient tomb – the Ancient Earth Scales Halberd, the long weapon that had been under Nirvana Elder when Lin Dong kowtowed. She believed this magical weapon would greatly enhance his cultivation. Lin Dong accepted, vowing to train vigorously to make Ling Qingzhu see him in a new light. Meanwhile, Qingtan was in tears, telling Xiao Yan that she didn't want to return to Qiwu Tower.
She felt the Talisman Guild disciples now viewed her as a "strange creature" after what happened. Xiao Yan reassured her that Lin Dong didn't think so. She wondered about Lin Langtian. In the forest, Lin Langtian was roused by Mu Qianqian. She explained that the Yin Puppet Sect cunningly placed a talisman in him, causing him to become a Talisman Puppet. Lin Langtian inquired about Lin Dong, to which Mu Qianqian replied that the Talisman Guild had saved him.
Mu Qianqian further revealed that the Love Talisman he was inflicted with was an opportunity for Lin Dong to trust him completely. She advised Lin Langtian to return to Qiwu Tower to uncover the whereabouts of the other ancestral talismans, and concerning the Devour Talisman (which was taken by the Yin Puppet Sect), she promised to help him. She sternly cautioned him against showing "woman-like kindness" again.
Lin Langtian returned to Qiwu Tower, and Lin Dong's attitude towards him was notably softer. Master Yan initially showed resistance, but Lin Dong pleaded with him to give Lin Langtian another chance, explaining his brother's narrow escape. Xuan Su expressed her displeasure, but Lin Dong took responsibility for his own poor cultivation and the troubles he caused, apologizing for involving everyone and losing the ancestral talisman.
He begged Master Yan for another opportunity to avenge them and restore the Talisman Guild's honor, and Xuan Su chimed in, mentioning the upcoming Tower Competition. Master Yan then explained the Tower Competition. The Talisman Guru Tower, a condensation of past guild Chiefs' spiritual energies, transformed once a year.
At its summit lay the Ancestral Stone, the highest symbol of a Talisman Guru, which no one had ever managed to retrieve in previous competitions due to its immense difficulty and danger. Master Yan had struck a deal with the Yin Puppet Sect: if the Talisman Guild won, they would merge to jointly eliminate demons; if they lost, the Talisman Guild would cease to exist and merge with the Yin Puppet Sect.
Master Yan suggested that if they lost, Lin Dong could return to Qingyang Town to live an ignoble existence. Lin Dong was taken aback, realizing he was expected to retrieve the Ancestral Stone despite having no Talisman Guild kung fu and his Devour Talisman stolen. Ling Qingzhu stepped in, reminding Lin Dong of his earlier resolve to take revenge and make others respect him. Her words reignited Lin Dong's confidence, and he pledged to learn everything to prove himself.
Master Yan noted Ling Qingzhu's persuasive power. Lin Langtian offered to be Lin Dong's training partner, representing Yuan Gate, and Master Yan agreed, urging them to prepare as time was short. Later, Lin Dong confronted Lin Langtian, asking why he didn't return to Yuan Gate. Lin Langtian confessed that his original mission was to get close to Lin Dong and obtain intelligence from the Talisman Guild on the whereabouts of the other seven talismans.
He then elaborated on the Love Talisman, saying it was accidentally embedded in him and affected the person who cared most about Lin Dong. Lin Dong dropped his guard, and the two reminisced about their childhood bond. Lin Dong spoke of letting go of grudges and fighting Yi-Demons, proposing they become heroes together, to which Lin Langtian readily agreed to be his brother in arms.
Master Yan pondered the Love Talisman's presence in Lin Langtian, with Xuan Su admitting she couldn't discern Lin Langtian's true intentions. Master Yan remarked that Lin Dong had "dumb luck," being connected to disciples from three major sects: Taiqing Palace, Dao Sect, and Yuan Gate. After Lin Dong drank too much, Lin Langtian took the opportunity to search Lin Dong's body but found nothing before leaving.
Xuan Su worried about Lin Langtian's motives, but Master Yan concluded that disaster and luck were intertwined, and Lin Langtian's presence might actually spur Lin Dong on. Lin Langtian encountered Qingtan, who was weeping. She confessed her reluctance to return to Qiwu Tower, feeling like a "strange creature" after her cold poison went out of control during Master Yan's ritual, severely injuring the disciples' internal organs.
Lin Langtian comforted her, explaining her ice toxin was a powerful gift, capable of both harm and salvation, and credited it with helping Lin Dong recover. He promised to find a way to help her control her powers and to help Lin Dong, his "buddy" and Qingtan's brother. Meanwhile, Teng Lei struggled to activate the Devour Talisman. Little Marten, trapped within, saw his chance.
It mimicked the voice of a remnant soul of "Fu Zu," claiming Teng Lei was the fated successor. Little Marten then instructed Teng Lei to kowtow and, as part of his "cultivation," stare directly into the sun to absorb energy and expel evil currents. Teng Lei, desperate, complied. Master Yan began training Lin Dong, explaining that talisman scripts were derived from the different "qi" of all things in the world.
He stressed the Talisman Guild's cardinal rule: never to gather qi from living beings, emphasizing morality and respect for life. He presented Lin Dong with the "Divine Movement Record," a tome containing over a hundred talisman scripts and 9,981 combinations, all of which Lin Dong had to memorize while continuously cultivating his qi. Master Yan then had Lin Dong present the Ancient Earth Scales Halberd given by Ying Huanhuan.
He revealed it was an earth-level spiritual treasure with three levels: Fish Scales Halberd, Angry Python Halberd, and Transforming Dragon Halberd, all sealed within by Nirvana Elder. Master Yan demonstrated the powerful Transforming Dragon technique. Lin Dong attempted it, only managing to manifest the lowest level, the Fish Scales Halberd. Master Yan set a rigorous schedule for Lin Dong: memorizing talismans in the morning and practicing the halberd at noon for the next half month.
He advised Lin Dong to make good use of the Heart of Nirvana to reach the Heavenly Yuan Rank, as beyond that, his martial arts and luck would be his own responsibility. Lin Dong tried again, and his Fish Scales Halberd grew slightly larger. At the same time, Little Marten, inside the Devour Talisman, tricked Teng Lei into injecting Yuan energy, using the opportunity to escape in human form to find Lin Dong.
